Extruded Bottom Fence Rail

ABSTRACT

An extruded bottom fence rail having a topside longitudinal track extending the length of the rail for holding the bottom portion of at least one planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath with an interiorly positioned stiffener compartment having a plurality of braces extending between the rail&#39;s interior walls and the stiffener compartment walls and optionally providing that the planar article has outward projections within that portion contained with the bottom-rail track providing for potential linear movement while preventing vertical movement.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is subject to U.S. provisional application s/n 60/864032 filed 2 Nov. 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to fences and, more specifically, to an extruded bottom rail for a fence having a topside longitudinal track extending the length of the rail for holding the bottom portion of at least one planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath while optionally providing that the planar article provides outward projections within that portion contained with the bottom-rail track providing for potential linear movement while preventing vertical movement.

Additionally provided for is a metallic stiffener residing in a rail interior stiffener compartment having a plurality of braces extending between the rail's interior walls and the stiffener compartment walls that are situated for continued structural integrity of the product and continued continuity of the rail having the stiffener serving as brace anchor and deterring deformation of the fence rail of the instant invention from exterior forces.

The stiffener once positioned within the compartment may be fixed in location by forming a tab through pressure applied against a portion of the compartment wall sufficient to angularly bend said portion, relative to its longitudinal orientation, including the metallic stiffener and opposing compartment wall thereby preventing movement therefrom.

Furthermore, the present invention provides that the bottom-rail track may include rail distal end tabs to contain the planar article(s) in a fixed state when assembled thereby enabling prior assemblage of sections that can be shipped to a job site as modular units.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There are other fences designed for modular assembly. While these fences may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.

Therefore, it is felt that a need exist for a fence bottom rail having the aforementioned properties.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an extruded bottom fence rail with a longitudinal track for receiving slats therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extruded bottom fence rail having a longitudinal fence rail track comprising a base with conjoined spaced apart walls vertically extending to inwardly projecting flanges that edgewise terminate in a downwardly projecting lip.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom rail track consisting of a U-shaped channel having a planar base with each leg extending downwardly from a respective topside flange forming support for a plurality of vertically extending slats.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom fence rail having an interior elliptical-like longitudinal compartment for receiving a metal stiffener therein.

Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an extruded bottom rail for a fence having a topside longitudinal track extending the length of the rail for holding the bottom portion of at least one planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath with an interiorly positioned stiffener compartment having a plurality of braces extending between the rail's interior walls and the stiffener compartment walls and optionally providing that the planar article may have outward projections within that portion contained within the bottom-rail track providing for potential linear movement while preventing vertical movement.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of the extruded fence rail of the present invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the extruded fence rail of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the metal stiffener removed from the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the metal stiffener partially inserted into the bottom fence rail of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the Extruded Bottom Fence Rail of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.

10. Extruded Bottom Fence Rail of the present invention

12. fence slats

14. fence top rail

16. fence rail wall

18. wall interior surface

20. fence rail base

22. base interior surface

24. fence rail flange

26. flange bottom surface

28. flange lip

30. track

32. track wall

34. track wall exterior surface

36. track base

38. track wall brace

40. stiffener compartment

42. stiffener compartment top surface

44. stiffener compartment walls

46. stiffener wall exterior surface

48. stiffener compartment top surface brace

50. stiffener compartment wall center brace

52. stiffener compartment wall bottom brace

54. metal stiffener

56. punched tab stiffener retainer

58. punched tab slat retainer

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, shown is the bottom fence rail of the present invention in use with fence slats 12 and top rail 14. The bottom fence rail 10 has longitudinal track 30 extending the length of fence rail 10 with the longitudinal track 30 having track base 36 for supporting a plurality of fence slats 12 thereon. Walls 16 of fence rail 10 have a pair of interiorly extending flanges 24 spaced above track base 36 encompassing the lower portions of slats 12 as reinforcement from lateral forces. Also shown are flanges 24 having downwardly projecting lips 28 preventing slats with outward projections (not shown) from vertical displacement from track 30. The present invention further provides that track base 36 can be punched approximate rail 10 distal ends forming tabs 58 retaining slats 12 therebetween thereby enabling a fence section to be factory assembled and shipped to the job site as modular units reducing the manpower needed to install a fence.

FIG. 2 is a sectional end view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention. As illustrated, the bottom fence rail 10 of the present invention has a housing comprised of rail base 20 having conjoined spaced apart walls 16 vertically extending therefrom to a pair of inwardly extending flanges 24 terminating in downwardly extending lips 28 and longitudinal track 30. Interiorly the housing has structural reinforcement members. Longitudinal track 30 is comprised of track walls 32 and conjoined track base 36 serving the aforementioned purpose of supporting a plurality of the fence slats. Extending from each track wall 32 exterior surface 34 to each wall 16 interior surface 18 are track wall braces 38 serving as structural reinforcement members. Further structural reinforcement members are contained within the rail housing with the main reinforcement member comprising an elliptically shaped stiffener compartment 40 having top surface 42 with the compartment running the length of the rail housing for placement therein of a metal stiffener 54 that once positioned within compartment 40 allows for punching through stiffener compartment wall 44 from wall exterior surface 46 through stiffener 54 and opposing compartment wall 44 therein forming tab 56 lockingly engaging stiffener 54 between compartment walls 44. Structural supports are additionally provided between stiffener compartment 40 and housing wall interior surface 18 comprising top end braces 48 extending from compartment top surface 42 to interior wall 18, center braces 50 extending from exterior surface 46 of compartment wall 44 to interior wall surface 18 and bottom braces 52 extending from exterior surface 46 of compartment wall 44 to interior base surface 22 of base wall 20.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention. The stiffener compartment 40 has a top surface 42 with the compartment running the length of the rail housing for placement therein of a metal stiffener 54. Structural supports are additionally provided between stiffener compartment 40 and housing wall interior surface 18 comprising top end braces 48 extending from compartment top surface 42 to interior wall 18, center braces 50 extending from exterior surface 46 of wall 44 to interior wall surface 18 and bottom braces 52 extending from exterior surface 46 of wall 44 to interior base surface 22 of base wall 20.

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the metal stiffener removed from extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention. Depicted is metal stiffener 54 aligned for insertion into stiffener compartment 40 whereupon metal stiffener 54 is anchored to compartment 40 by punching through the stiffener compartment wall 44 from wall exterior surface 46 through stiffener 54 and opposing compartment wall 44 forming transverse tab 56. Structural supports extend between stiffener compartment 40 and housing wall interior surface 18 comprising top end braces 48 extending from compartment top surface 42 to interior wall 18, center braces 50 extending from exterior surface 46 of wall 44 to interior wall surface 18 and bottom braces 52 extending from exterior surface 46 of wall 44 to interior base surface 22 of base wall 20.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the metal stiffener partially inserted into the bottom fence rail of the present invention. Shown is metal stiffener 54 being inserted within compartment 40 providing for anchoring metal stiffener 54 within compartment 40 by punching through the stiffener compartment wall 44 from wall exterior surface 46 through the stiffener 54 and opposing compartment wall 44.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention. As illustrated, the bottom fence rail 10 of the present invention has track base 20 that can be punched approximate rail 10 distal ends forming tabs 58. The formed tabs 58 provide means to secure slats 12 and thus allow the fence section to be factory assembled and shipped to the job site as a completed section. In turn, less manpower is needed to install the fence.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein. 

1. An extruded bottom fence rail comprising: a) a housing having a top side, bottom side with spaced apart walls therebetween; b) a longitudinal track extending the length of the top side; and c) an interiorly positioned stiffener compartment extending the length of the fence bottom rail for insertion therein of a rigid stiffening member.
 2. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 1, wherein the rigid stiffening member is metal.
 3. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 2, wherein the stiffener compartment walls and metal stiffener have a portion transversely forming a tab fixing the metal stiffener location.
 4. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 1, wherein the topside track comprises a pair of walls extending from topside flanges with the walls conjoining to form a transverse platform with said flanges partially extending over said track walls.
 5. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 4, wherein said track has a pair of braces positioned between the exterior track wall and housing interior wall for the length of the rail.
 6. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 1 wherein the stiffening compartment has a substantially elliptical shape fixedly positioned with a plurality of braces.
 7. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 6 wherein said braces extend between the stiffener compartment exterior wall to the housing interior wall.
 8. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 7, wherein the braces comprise a pair of stiffener compartment top portion braces, a pair of central portion braces and a pair of bottom portion braces.
 9. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 1 further providing at least one upwardly depending tab formed within the longitudinal track approximate the track distal end as a track stop.
 10. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 9, wherein said tab is formed at each track distal end to retain planar articles therebetween.
 11. The extruded bottom fence rail as recited in claim 10 wherein said planar articles is taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath. 